The early Christian imperial basilica of the Saints Martyrs Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio and Protasio known more commonly as the basilica of San Vitale and Compagni Martiri in Fovea (Roman Parish) or more simply as San Vitale al Quirinale. It is the oldest Catholic place of worship in the historic center of Rome, located in via Nazionale. The imperial basilica of San Vitale al Quirinale, built under the pontificate of Pope Siricius after 386 and consecrated and richly decorated by Pope Innocent in 402 (Luigi Hutter and Vincenzo Golzino) is the first public Christian basilica with a baptistery (still not found) not founded on pre-existing pagan temples, mentioned in the Liber pontificalis, built by the Emperor Theodosius at the behest of Saint Ambrose of Milan, in honor of the miraculous discovery of the bodies of martyrs Gervasius and Protasius in Milan. It is the most frescoed basilica in Rome.

History

The basilica was built in 400 with funds provided by Vestina, a wealthy widow,David Hunt, Chapter VIII of The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume XIII, p.251 and was consecrated by Pope Innocent I in 401/402. It was dedicated to Ss. Gervasius and Protasius, and called the "titulus Vestinae". The dedication to St. Vitalis and his family (Saint Valeria, his wife, and Sts. Gervasius and Protasius, their sons) is dated to 412.Mariano Armellini, le chiese di Roma, dalle loro origine sino al secolo XVI (Roma: Tip. ed. Romana 1887), pp. 244-245. This church is recorded as Titulus Vestinae in the acts of the 499 synod of Pope Symmachus, and three priests from the church subscribed their names.J.D. Mansi (ed.), Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima collectio, editio novissima, Tomus VIII (Florence: A. Zatta 1762), p. 236.

San Vitale was restored several times, most importantly when it was extensively rebuilt by Pope Sixtus IV before the Jubilee of 1475.Forcella XI, p. 221, no. 356. Other interventions took place in 1512 under Cardinal del Monte;Forcella XI, p. 221, no. 357. in 1598, in 1859 by the generosity of Pope Pius IX;Forcella XI, p. 222, no. 358. in 1938 and 1960. Because of changes in the city over the centuries, the floor level of the church is now several metres below the level of the street on which it is located, the present-day via Nazionale.

Customs Free bread was distributed to the poor by the church every Friday, according to the will of a gentleman from the Marches, Francesco Silla.Armellini, p. 245. Silla was a notary, and served as private secretary to Cardinal Guglielmo Sirleto (1514-1585).

Architectural and Artistic Features

Exterior

The portico is the most ancient part of the church, possibly dating back to the 5th century. It was altered at the end of the 16th century. The inscription on the portico, with the arms of Pope Sixtus IV, dates from this time. Pope Pius IX built the staircase to the 5th century portico in 1859.

Interior

The church has a single nave, with walls frescoed with scenes of martyrdom, among which a Martyrdom of St Ignatius of Antioch, in which a ruined Colosseum is depicted. The apse, a surviving part of the original 5th century church, is decorated with a fresco by Andrea Commodi, The Ascent to Calvary.

Cardinal Priests Among the cardinals who previously took their title from the church were: John Fisher, executed for treason in 1535 by Henry VIII of England; and Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte, who became Pope Julius III (1550–1555). The titulus was suppressed by Pope Clement VIII in 1596. It was united with the nearby Jesuit church of S. Andrea.Gauchat, p. 50. Forcella XI, p. 219.

The titulus was restored by Pope Leo XIII in 1880, with the appointment of Cardinal Andon Bedros IX Hassoun. The current Cardinal Priest is Cardinal Adam Maida.

Caelius Januarius (attested 499)Caelius Januarius subscribed the acts of the Roman synod of Pope Gelasius II in 499. Mansi (ed.) VIII, p. 236: "Caelius Januarius Presbyter tituli Vestinae his consensi et subscripsi synodalibus constitutis, atque in hac ... manere profiteor sententia." The document is also signed by Soranus, presbyter tituli Vestinae, and Opilio, presbyter tituli Vestinae. ... Lictifredus (attested 1128–1130; 1133–1140)J. Brixius, p. 36, 146. Lictifredus joined the Obedience of Anacletus II in 1130, and was replaced by Matthaeus of the Obedience of Innocent II (1130–1133). Matthaeus (1130) Thomas (1141–1146) Theodinus (1166–1179)Brixius, pp. 66, 146. ... Gregorius (1202–1207)C. Eubel, Hierarchia catholica, 2nd ed. (Münster: Typ. Lib. Regensbergianae 1913) I, pp. 3, note 1, no. 23; 48. Gregorius Crescenzi had earlier been Cardinal deacon of S. Maria in Aquiro (1188–1202). Joannes de Castrocoeli (1294–1295) Petrus de Capella (1305–1306)Pierre de la Chapelle Taillefert, bishop of Toulouse. Eubel I, p. 48. Jacques Duèse (1312–1313) Bertrand de la Tour, O.Min . (1320–1323) Joannes de Convenis (Jean de Comminges) (1327–1331) Elias de Nabinalis, O.Min. (1342–1348) Nicolaus Capocci (1350–1361)Nicolaus was promoted Cardinal Bishop of Tusculum (1361–1368). Eubel I, pp. 38, 48. Guillaume de Chanac, O.S.B. (1371–1383) Jean de Muriolo (Murol) (1385–1399) (Avignon Obedience)Eubel I, pp. 28, no. 24; 48. Peter von Schaumberg (1440−1469)Schaumberg was bishop of Augsburg. Eubel II, p. 8; p. 36, no. 289; p. 65. Ausiàs Despuig (1473–1477)Despuig was archbishop of Monreale in Sicily. He was transferred to the titular church of Santa Sabina on 12 December 1477. Eubel II, pp. 17 no. 5; 65. Cristoforo della Rovere (1477–1478)Della Rovere was a nephew of Pope Sixtus IV. He died on 1 February 1478. Eubel II, pp. 18 no. 16; 65. Domenico della Rovere (1478–1479)Domenico was the brother of Cristoforo. He was transferred to the church of San Clemente on 13 August 1479. Eubel II, pp. 18 no. 23; 65. Ferry de Clugny (1480–1482)Ferry was transferred to Santa Maria in Domnica. He died on 7 October 1483. Eubel II, pp. 19 no. 26; 65. Joan Margarit i Pau (1483–1484)Margarit was the ambassador of the king of Castile to the pope. On 17 March 1484, Margarit was transferred to the church of Santa Balbina. He died on 21 November 1484. Eubel II, pp. 19 no. 31; 65. Giovanni Conti (1489–1493)Eubel II, pp. 19 no. 29; 65. Raymond Peraudi (1496–1499)Eubel II, pp. 22 no. 10; 65. Jaime Serra i Cau (1500–1502)Serra was transferred to the church of San Clemente on 28 June 1502. Eubel II, pp. 24 no. 25; 65. Gianstefano Ferrero (1502–1505)Ferrero was transferred to the church of Santi Sergio e Bacco al Foro Romano on 17 December 1505. He died in 1510. Eubel II, pp. 24 no. 34; 65. Eubel III, p. 71. Antonio Ferrero (1505–1508)Ferrero: Eubel III, pp. 10 no. 8; 71. René de Prie (1509–1511)De Prie was transferred to the titular church of Santa Sabina on 17 March 1511. Eubel III, pp. 11 no. 15; 71. Antonio Maria Ciocchi del Monte (1511–1514)Del Monte was transferred to the titular church of Santa Prassede on 14 July 1514. Eubel III, pp. 12 no. 20; 71. Francesco Conti (1517–1521)Eubel III, pp. 15 no. 9; 71. Marino Grimani (1528–1532)Grimani was transferred to the titular church of San Marcello al Corso on 12 November 1532. Eubel III, pp. 19 no. 5; 71. Esteban Gabriel Merino (1533–1534)Merino was transferred to the titular church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo al Celio on 5 September 1534. Eubel III, pp. 21 no. 28; 71. John Fisher (1535)Fisher, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London, was named cardinal on 31 May 1535, and died on 22 June 1535. Eubel III, pp. 24 no. 6; 71. Gasparo Contarini (1535–1537)Contarini was transferred to the titular church of Santa Balbina on 15 January 1537. Eubel III, pp. 24 no. 8; 71. Giovanni Maria Ciocchi del Monte (1537–1542)Eubel III, pp. 24 no. 11; 31; 71. Giovanni Morone (1542–1549)Morone was transferred to the titular church of San Stefano on 25 February 1549. Eubel III, pp. 27 no. 40; 71. Filiberto Ferrero (1549)Ferrero died on 14 August 1549. Eubel III, pp. 31 no. 70; 71. Giovanni Ricci (1551–1566)Ricci: Eubel III, pp. 32 no. 6; 71. Luigi Pisani (1566–1568)Pisani was transferred to the titular church of San Marco on 2 June 1568. Eubel III, pp. 40 no. 29; 71. Luigi Cornaro (1568–1569)Cornaro was transferred to the titular church of San Clemente on 9 February 1569. Eubel III, pp. 33 no. 15; 71. Gaspar Cervantes (June 1570)Cervantes was appointed on 9 June, and transferred on 16 June to San Martino ai Monti. Eubel III, pp. 44 no. 7; 71. Pietro Donato Cesi (1570–1584)Cesi: Eubel III, pp. 44 no. 9; 71. Costanzo da Sarnano, O.Min.Conv. (1587)14 January to 20 April 1587. Eubel III, pp. 51 no. 14; 71. Antonio Sauli (1588–1591).Eubel III, pp. 52 no. 20; 71. Restored title Andon Bedros IX Hassoun (1880–1884)Bräuer, p. 121. Guglielmo Massaia, O.F.M.Cap. (1884–1889)Bräuer, p. 130. Albin Dunajewski (1891–1894)Bräuer, p. 153. Jan Puzyna de Kosielsko (1902–1911)Bräuer, p. 193. Louis-Nazaire Bégin (1914–1925)Bräuer, p. 223. Vicente Casanova y Marzol (1925–1930)Bräuer, p. 261. Karel Kašpar (1935–1941)Bräuer, p. 287. Manuel Arce y Ochotorena (1946–1948)Bräuer, p. 313. Benjamín de Arriba y Castro (1953–1973)Bräuer, p. 331. František Tomášek (1977–1992)Bräuer, p. 379. Adam Maida (1994–present)Bräuer, p. 566.

References

Bibliography

Forcella, Vencenzo (1877). Le inscrizioni delle chiese e d'altri edifici di Roma Volume XI (Roma: L. Cecchini 1877). (in Latin and Italian)

External links Official website of the Basilica di San Vitale